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Wilomina Graphic Novel from Metaphrog, Published By Scholastic Graphix

Wilomina: The Land of Dreams and Nightmares, the new graphic novel from Metaphrog to be published by Scholastic Graphix UK

Published Thu, 03 Apr 2025 12:57:08 -0500

by Rich Johnston

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Article Summary

Scholastic Graphix to publish Metaphrog's new graphic novel series, Wilomina, starting September 2026.
First book, Wilomina: The Land of Dreams and Nightmares, features a magical, uncanny adventure.
Creators John Chalmers and Sandra Marrs bring a Studio Ghibli and Labyrinth-inspired middle-grade story.
Metaphrog's previous works include Freya, Harris And Grace, Bluebeard, and The Little Mermaid.

Scholastic Graphix UK is to publish a new middle-grade graphic novel series, Wilomina, by creators John Chalmers and Sandra Marrs, known collectively as the small press/self-publishing team Metaphrog. The first book, Wilomina: The Land of Dreams and Nightmares, will be published in September 2026, with a sequel in October 2027.

Scholastic states the series has "charming illustrations and a funny, magical plot reminiscent of classic, beloved stories like Spirited Away and Labyrinth".

Wilomina: The Land of Dreams and Nightmares sees "Wilomina, her father and baby brother getting stuck in the middle of nowhere while on their way to visit the children's mother in hospital. Desperate, Wilomina leaps aboard a mysterious train and meets Mephisto, a talking cat. She is then separated from her family, tumbling into Nocturna – a parallel land where dreams and nightmares come from".

Wilomina Graphic Novel from Metaphrog, Published By Scholastic Graphix — Wilomena

Chalmers and Marrs said, "The idea for Wilomina leaping into the land of dreams and nightmares hit us like a bolt of lightning. Our fabulous agent, Molly Jamieson, loved it straight away too, and we're incredibly excited that Scholastic jumped on board. Graphix is our favourite graphic novel imprint, so it's a dream to be part of it, and all at a time when graphic novels are taking off in the UK." Scholastic will be making Wilomena a lead title at Bologna Children's Book Fair, with a lightbox display and exclusive sampler.

Scholastic Graphix senior commissioning editor Julia Sanderson bought world rights courtesy of Metaphrog agent Molly Jamieson at United Agents in a two-book deal. Sanderson says Chalmers and Marrs are "experts at what they do and have been a dream to work with in developing this incredibly exciting home-grown graphic novel. Their bold new heroine's magical, uncanny adventure into an unpredictable parallel world reminded me of the beloved childhood film Labyrinth – with a brilliant Wednesday meets Studio Ghibli twist… the perfect bridge to encourage growing young readers to explore the riches of middle-grade fantasy."

Metaphrog's previous graphic novels include Freya and Harris And Grace, both from Collins in 2023, Bluebeard, The Little Mermaid, and Red Shoes from Papercutz in 2020, 2017 and 2015, their self-published Louis series.

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